Alarm attachable to a door

ABSTRACT

An alarm has a housing attachable to a door and provided with a spring-operated actuator restrained by a striker that is either attached to doorway structure or so attached to the housing as to move relative thereto out of its actuator-restraining position as the door is opened. The alarm includes an operating member movable by the actuator when driven by its spring into an operative position only from a set position as the door is opened, in which operative position it closes an electric circuit to an audible signal. The operating member is wholly within the housing in its circuit-closing position and the housing has a plurality of identical, manually rotatable buttons exposed on its cover to a selected one of which an arm is connected that is operable to reset the operating member thereby to open the circuit.

United States Patent [191 Powell et al.

1 ALARM ATTACHABLE TO A DOOR [75] lnventors: David S. Powell, Brighton; Charles B. Weeks, Boston, both of Mass.

[73] Assignee: Norris Industries, Inc., Los Angeles,

Calif.

[22] Filed: Nov. 22, 1971 [21] App1.No.:200,782

[ Oct. 23, 1973 Primary Examiner-John W. Caldwell Assistant Examiner-William M. Wannisky Att0rneyAbbott Spear [57] ABSTRACT An alarm has a housing attachable to a door and provided with a spring-operated actuator restrained by a striker that is either attached to doorway structure or so attached to the housing as to move relative thereto out of its actuator-restraining position as the door is opened. The alarm includes an operating member movable by the actuator when driven by its spring into an operative position only from a set position as the door is opened, in which operative position it closes an electric circuit to an audible signal. The operating member is wholly within the housing in its circuitclosing position and the housing has a plurality of identical, manually rotatable buttons exposed on its cover to a selected one of which an arm is connected that is operable to reset the operating member thereby to open the circuit.

20 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures 1 ALARM ATTACHABLE TO A DOOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many different types of alarms have been proposed that are operative when a door is opened by an intruder. Some proposed alarms are parts of sophisticated systems while others are self-contained and relatively inexpensive units.

Because of the high rate of crime, there is a widespread awareness on the part of householders of the danger of an intrusion and of the fact that locks are not wholly effective so that the use of an alarm is indicated that would signal an illegal entry. It is also recognized that, while many criminals are familiar with the details of even sophisticated protective systems, an alarm adequate to warn neighbors or the occupants, if operated for a sufficient interval, is effective to discourage a criminal relying on his ability to enter premises without detection.

It is also recognized that many cannot afford sophisticated systems and the moderately priced units do not work as effectively under all conditions as should be the case and that installations are not easily made as the necessity of additional striker plates is commonly required and some doorway structures make the attachment of such plates difficult or impossible.

THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention is concerned with readily installed, self-contained alarms that ensure an adequate signal-operating interval even in the event the intruder is familiar with their construction. Reference is here made to the co-pending application of David S Powell entitled Door Chain Actuated Alarm, Ser. No. 200,783, filed Nov. 22, 1971.

In accordance with the invention, an alann includes a housing attachable to the door and provided with a signal device and an operating member movable between a set position in which it is exposed and a second position in which the signal is operatand in the second position, the operating member is concealed. An actuating member is held in an inoperative position against the action of a spring by a striker so that when the door is opened, the actuating member moves and, during such movement,shifts the operating member into its second position. The housing includes a plurality of identical, rotatable buttons exposed for manual engagement and an arm within the housing is attached to a particular one of the buttons, known to the householder, 'and operable, when that button is turned, to reset the operating member.

Where the doorway structure does not provide a portion that will restrain the actuating member when the door is closed or permit the convenient attachment of a striker plate thereto, a striker is attached to the housing for movement relative thereto, as the door is opened, out of a position restraining the actuator member thus obviating the necessity of altering the doorway structure and greatly facilitating an installation.

A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown of which FIG. 1 is a view of an alarm installed on the inside of a door;

FIG. 2 is a front end view of the alarm;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the electric circuit;

FIG.-4 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, but with the cover removed and the door partly opened with the alarm operating;

FIG. 5 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a like section but with the actuator restrained by the striker;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the inside of the cover;

FIG. 8 is a section taken lengthwise of the alarm;

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the alarm;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view of the base showing the actuator in its off position; and

FIG. 11 is a partly sectioned view of the head of the actuator illustrating the closing of the door when the actuator is in its operative position.

The alarm illustrated by the drawings has a housing the base of which is generally indicated at 15 and shown as permanently secured to a door 16 as by pressure sensitive adhesive and/or as by screws 17. To that end, the outer face of the bottom of the base has an adhesive coat 18, see FIG. 9, protected by a paper sheet 19 that is removed at the time the alarm is installed, the adhesive coat thus enabling the base to be secured in its desired position if screws are not to be used. The housing also has a cover, generally indicated at 20 secured to the base as by being a snap fit over the side and end walls of the base 15. The base 15 has a ledge 21 adjacent its side wall 15A which is, when the alarm is installed, placed close to the lock side of the door. In many instances, the adjacent doorway has or can have a striker plate secured thereto. The front wall of the cover 20 is formed with a projection 23 overlying the ledge 21 and defining therewith a chamber having an entrance 24, see FIG. 8, opening towards the opposite side wall 153 of the base.

The base 15 has a slot 25 extending transversely of its bottom between the front wall 15C and an inner, parallel wall 26 and so intersecting the base wall 15A as to provide a port 27. At the opposite end of the slot 25, the walls 15C and 26 are interconnected to provide achamber 28. An actuator 29 has side flanges 29A slidably supported by the walls 15C and 26 and dimensioned to enable the actuator 29 to have limited movement between forward and rearward positions. In the rearward or inner position, the trailing ends of the flanges 29A engage the walls of the chamber 28 and the actuator head 29B is held in the port 27 by the striker 30, see FIG. 6. In the forward or outer actuator position the head 29B is advanced into its outer position shown in FIG. 5 with the leading ends of the flanges engaging the side wall 15A and it will be noted that the head 29B is of sufficient length still to be within the port 27. The actuator 29 is provided with a rearward shoulder 29C provided with a stud 29D extending into the chamber 28 with one end of a coil spring 31 caught thereon and its other end backed by the base wall 158 and yieldably urging the actuator 29 in its forward position when the alarm is set and the actuator head 298 free of the striker 30 as it is as the door is opened.

The base 15 has an electrically operated, buzzervibrator 32 connected thereto through a sponge rubber mount 33, a block 34 secured to the wall 158 and having a pair of contacts 35, and a shunt 36-secured to the wall 15A. A pair of oppositely disposed batteries 37 are detachably held by spring clips 38 in engagement with the contacts 35 and the shunt 36. As will be apparent from FIG. 3, a lead 39 from the block 34 is connected to one terminal of the buzzer-vibrator 32 and another lead 40 from the block 34 is connected to the lower or switch arm 41A of a U-shaped member 41 pivotally supported by apost 42 which is a non-conductor. of electricity and seated against a wave washer 42A providing frictional resistance to the turning of the member 41, see FIG. 8. The upper arm 41B of the member 41 is the reset arm and the switch'arm 41A includes an angularly disposed operating lever 41C that extends across the actuator 29 in engagement with its shoulder 29C and outwardly through a slot 43 in the front wall of the cover 20, see FIG. 2. A spring latch 44 is attached to the base wall 15C and disposed to enable the operating lever 41C to be manually swung into an off position in which it is held thereby to prevent the alarm from operating, see FIGS. 2 and 10, until the operating lever 41C is returned to its FIG. 1 set position.

The base 15 also includes a post 45 that is a nonconductor of electricity and it supports a resilient contact 46 connected by a lead 47 to the other terminal of the buzzer-vibrator 32. The contact 46 has a curved end portion 46A and an intermediate shoulder 46B and is so positioned that when the operating lever 41C is moved by the actuator 29, the switch arm 41A swings with its upstanding end portion 41D sliding along the contact 46 over the shoulder 46B and becomes releasably held by the end portion 46A to complete the alarm operating circuit.

As the return of the actuator, towards its set position has no effect on the member 41 and as the end of its operating lever 41C that was initially exposed is within the chamber established by the projection 23 and the ledge 21 and, accordingly, cannot be manually engaged, reset means are mounted on the cover 20 and consist of a series of buttons 48 rotatably supported thereby, each provided with a kerf 48A dimensioned to be entered by various readily available articles, household or automobile keys, for examples. An arm 49 is attached to the inner end of a selected one of the buttons, known only to the householder, and provided with a pin 49A engageable with the upper or reset arm 418. In practice, the interior of the cover 20 is provided with a marker 50 to enable the householder when the cover 20 is replaced after installation of the alarm or replacement of its batteries, to so position the arm 49 as by pointing it towards that marker that by turning the correct button, the member 41 may be reset to open the alarm operating circuit. While the function of the buttons 48 is apparent, their number makes it highly improbable that, should an unwanted entry be effected, the alarm could be shut off before the occupants and immediate neighbors were alerted.

It has been noted that the actuator 29 is held in its set position by the striker 30. It will be apparent that the striker can be a conventional strike plate attached to the doorway structure 22 but for easeof installation and forinstallations where the doorway structure offers no alternative, the invention provides that the striker 30 may be an integral part of the alarm.

To this end, a slightly bowed resilient striker arm 51 is hingedly connected within the chamber 28 by a pin 52 with the arm 50 extending between the actuator 29 and the door .16 and extending beyond the actuator head 29A to engage withdoorwayv structure 22 and thereby be so held that the striker 30 engages and holds the actuator head 29A against being moved outwardly by the spring 31. As shown in FIG. 5, the striker arm 51 has an angularly disposed end portion 53 supporting a bearing block 54 and having a slot 55 through which a connecting bolt 56 extends thus enabling the block to be adjusted for proper engagement with the doorway structure 22. The striker 30 is in the form of an inverted V. If a striker plate is available, the arm 51 may be easily disconnected from the pin 52.

When the door 16 is opened, the striker arm 49 is free to move and because of its bow shape and its resilience, it reverts to its untensioned position with the striker 30 moved out of its position holding tha actuator 29. In order that the door can be again closed, the head 29A of the actuator 29 has a pocket 57 positioned to overlie the striker 30 and disposed to receive it within it on the closing of the door. As the alarm is shut off, the actuator 29 is drawn back-with the striker 30 cammed out of the pocket 57.

We claim:

1. An alarm attachable to a door, said alarm comprising a housing, a battery operated alarm device includ' ing an operating circuit, the device and the circuit within the housing, a first member including a control arm and supported within said housing for movement between an inoperative position, an operative position and an intermediate set position, said member operable to effect the closing of the circuit in said operative position and the opening of the circuit in said other positions, an actuating member within and supported by said housing for movement between a first position and a second position during which movement it engages and shifts said control arm to move said first member from its set into its operative position, said control arm being disengaged from and unaffected by return movement of said actuating member when the first member is in its operating position, a spring within the housing urging the actuating member into its second position, said actuating member including a head held in its first position when the door is closed but extending outwardly of the housing when the door is opened to a predetermined extent, said control arm being within the housing in the operative position of said first member and exposed in said other positions, and means carried by the housing and operable to return the first member from its operative position to another of said positions.

.2. The alarm of claim 1 and a detent carried by the housing and releasably holding the control arm in said operative position.

3. The alarm of claim 1 in which the control arm and the actuating member include portions in engagement while the first member is being reset thereby to return the actuating member to its first position.

4. The alarm of claim 1 in which the actuating member is slidably supported by the housing and includes a shoulder engageable with the control arm when the actuating member moves from its set position towards its operative position and is engaged by said control arm when the first member is reset.

5. The alarm of claim 4 in which the striker arm is of resilient stock and shaped to be tensioned when the door is closed to force the striker into a position restraining the actuator.

6. The alarm of claim 4 in which the actuator head includes a pocket disposed and dimensioned to accommodate the striker if the door is closed with the actuating member in its first position.

7. The alarm of claim 1 in which the housing has a slot closed at one side and opening through the other side to provide a port, the actuating member includes side flanges slidable on the margins of the slot, at rearwardly disposed stem and a forwardly disposed head, the spring is carried by the stem and backed by the closed end of the slot, the side flanges are disposed to seat against said other side to establsih the second position of the actuating member, and the head is dimensioned to be guided by said port in either of the positions of the actuating member.

8. An alarm attachable to a door, said alarm comprising a housing, a battery operated alarm device including an operating circuit, the device and the circuit within the housing, a first member supported within said housing for movement between an operative position in which it effects the closing of said circuit and a set position in which it effects the opening of said circuit, an actuating member within and supported by said housing for movement between a first position and a second position in which said first member is moved from its set into its operative position, said members being independent during movement of the actuating member from its second to its first position, means within the housing operable to effect movement of the actuating member into its second position when the door is opened to a predetermined extent, means within the housing releasably holding the first member when in its operative position and means carried by the housing and operable to reset the first member.

9. The alarm of claim 8 in which the reset means comprises an arm in the interior of the housing, a housing wall includes a plurality of identical buttons, each rotatably supported by said housing wall and having an outer portion exposed to be manually turned and to the inner portion of any one of which the reset arm could be attached and be operative, said reset arm being attached to the interior portion of a selected one of said buttons and disposed, when that button is turned, to engage and return the first member to its set position.

10. The alarm of claim 9 and a post within the housing and the first member is pivotally mounted-in the housing thereon and includes a vertically spaced arm portion engageable by the reset lever.

11. The alarm of claim 10 and means supported by the post yieldably opposing the turning of the first member.

12. The alarm of claim 8 in which the circuit includes a switch having a fixed contact which is the means holding the first member when in its operative position and a pivotable conductor arm which is the first member.

13. The alarm of claim 12 in which the fixed contact includes a yieldable portion provided with an intermediate shoulder and the switch arm has a contact portion disposed to engage said yieldable portion and slide over the shoulder as the first member is moved into its operative position.

14. The alarm of claim 8 in which the alarm device circuit includes a switch having a conductor arm and a fixed contact, the first member includes inner and outer interconnected arms with the inner arm the switch arm, a pivot supports the first member, the fixed contact is engageable by the switch arm in the operative position of the first member, said pivot and said outer arm is a nonconductor of electricity, and reset means carried by the housing and movable to engage the outer arm and swing the first member from its operative into its set position.

15. An alarm attachable to a door, said alarm comprising a housing, a battery operated alarm device including an operating circuit, the device and the circuit within the housing, a first member supported within said housing for movement between an operative position in which it effects the closing of said circuit and a set position in which it effects the opening of said circuit position, an actuating member within and supported by said housing for movement between a first position and a second position in which said first member is moved from its set into its operative position, said members being independent during movement of the actuating member from its second to its first position, means within the housing operable to effect movement of the actuating member into its second position when the door is opened to a predetermined extent, said actuating member including a head extending outwardly of the housing, and a striker arm connected to said housing for movement relative thereto and dimensioned to engage with and be held against such movement by adjacent doorway structure when the door is closed, said arm including a striker portion engaging and holding said actuating member in its first position until the arm is freed by the opening of the door.

16. The alarm of claim 15 in which the striker arm is movable between first and second positions and includes a first portion engageable by and operable to hold the actuating member in its first position when the striker arm is also in its first position, said striker arm also including a second portion disposed to bear against a portion of said doorway structure when the door is closed then to hold the striker arm from moving from its first into its second position.

17. The alarm of claim 16 in which the striker arm is pivotally connected to the interior of the housing and extends forwardly between the actuating member and the door and beyond the striker portion to enable the striker arm to bear against a portion of said doorway structure when the door is closed.

18. The alarm of claim 16 in which the striker arm includes an angularly disposed free end portion and a structure-engaging plate is adjustably connected to the end portion to be moved lengthwise thereof as required by the doorway structure it is to engage.

19. The alarm of claim 16 in which the striker portion is inclined forwardly relative to the path of the actuating member.

20. The alarm of claim 16 in which the head of the actuating means includes a cam surface engageable with the striker portion, 

1. An alarm attachable to a door, said alarm comprising a housing, a battery operated alarm device including an operating circuit, the device and the circuit within the housing, a first member including a control arm and supported within said housing for movement between an inoperative position, an operative position and an intermediate set position, said member operable to effect the closing of the circuit in said operative position and the opening of the circuit in said other positions, an actuating member within and supported by said housing for movement between a first position and a second position during which movement it engages and shifts said control arm to move said first member from its set into its operative position, said control arm being disengaged from and unaffected by return movement of said actuating member when the first member is in its operating position, a spring within the housing urging the actuating member into its second position, said actuating member including a head held in its first position when the door is closed but extending outwardly of the housing when the door is opened to a predetermined extent, said control arm being within the housing in the operative position of said first member and exposed in said other positions, and means carried by the housing and operable to return the first member from its operative position to another of said positions.
 2. The alarm of claim 1 and a detent carried by the housing and releasably holding the control arm in said operative position.
 3. The alarm of claim 1 in which the control arm and the actuating member include portions in engagement while the first member is being reset thereby to return the actuating member to its first position.
 4. The alarm of claim 1 in which the actuating member is slidably supported by the housing and includes a shoulder engageable with the control arm when the actuating member moves from its set position towards its operative position and is engaged by said control arm when the first member is reset.
 5. The alarm of claim 4 in which the striker arm is of resilient stock and shaped to be tensioned when the door is closed to force the striker into a position restraining the actuator.
 6. The alarm of claim 4 in which the actuator head includes a pocket disposed and dimensioned to accommodate the striker if the door is closed with the actuating member in its first position.
 7. The alarm of claim 1 in which the housing has a slot closed at one side and opening through the other side to provide a port, the actuating member includes side flanges slidable on the margins of the slot, a rearwardly disposed stem and a forwardly disposed head, the spring is carried by the stem and backed by the closed end of the slot, the side flanges are disposed to seat against said other side to establish the second position of the actuating member, and the head is dimensioned to be guided by said port in either of the positions of the actuating member.
 8. An alarm attachable to a door, said alarm comprising a housing, a battery operated alarm device including an operating circuit, the device and the circuit within the housing, a first member supported within said housing for movement between an operative position in which it effects the closing of said circuit and a set position in which it effects the opening of said circuit, an actuating member within and supported by said housing for movement between a first position and a second position in which said first member is moved from its set into its operative position, said members being independent during movement of the actuating member from its second to its first position, means within the housing operable to effect movement of the actuating member into its second position when the door is opened to a predetermined extent, means within the housing releasably holding the first member when in its operative position and means carried by the housing and operable to reset the first member.
 9. The alarm of claim 8 in which the reset means comprises an arm in the interior of the housing, a housing wall includes a plurality of identical buttons, each rotatably supported by said housing wall and having an outer portion exposed to be manually turned and to the inner portion of any one of which the reset arm could be attached and be operative, said reset arm being attached to the interior portion of a selected one of said buttons and disposed, when that button is turned, to engage and return the first member to its set position.
 10. The alarm of claim 9 and a post within the housing and the first member is pivotally mounted in the housing thereon and includes a vertically spaced arm portion engageable by the reset lever.
 11. The alarm of claim 10 and means supported by the post yieldably opposing the turning of the first member.
 12. The alarm of claim 8 in which the circuit includes a switch having a fixed contact which is the means holding the first member when in its operative position and a pivotable conductor arm which is the first member.
 13. The alarm of claim 12 in which the fixed contact includes a yieldable portion provided with an intermediate shoulder and the switch arm has a contact portion disposed to engage said yieldable portion and slide over the shoulder as the first member is moved into its operative position.
 14. The alarm of claim 8 in which the alarm device circuit includes a switch having a conductor arm and a fixed contact, the first member includes inner and outer interconnected arms with the inner arm the switch arm, a pivot supports the first member, the fixed contact is engageable by the switch arm in the operative position of the first member, said pivot and said outer arm is a nonconductor of electricity, and reset means carried by the housing and movable to engage the outer arm and swing the first member from its operative into its set position.
 15. An alarm attachable to a door, said alarm comprising a housing, a battery operated alarm device including an operating circuit, the device and the circuit within the housing, a first member supported within said housing for movement between an operative position in which it effects the closing of said circuit and a set position in which it effects the opening of said circuit position, an actuating member within and supported by said housing for movement between a first position and a second position in which said first member is moved from its set into its operative position, said members being independent during movement of the actuating member from its second to its first position, means within the housing operable to effect movement of the actuating member into its second position when the door is opened to a predetermined extent, said actuating member including a head extending outwardly of the housing, and a striker arm connected to said housing for movement relative thereto and dimensioned to engage with and be held against such movement by adjacent doorway structure when the door is closed, said arm including a striker portion engaging and holding said actuating member in its first position until the arm is freed by the opening of the door.
 16. The alarm of claim 15 in which the striker arm is movable between first and second positions and includes a first portion engageable by and operable to hold the actuating member in its first Position when the striker arm is also in its first position, said striker arm also including a second portion disposed to bear against a portion of said doorway structure when the door is closed then to hold the striker arm from moving from its first into its second position.
 17. The alarm of claim 16 in which the striker arm is pivotally connected to the interior of the housing and extends forwardly between the actuating member and the door and beyond the striker portion to enable the striker arm to bear against a portion of said doorway structure when the door is closed.
 18. The alarm of claim 16 in which the striker arm includes an angularly disposed free end portion and a structure-engaging plate is adjustably connected to the end portion to be moved lengthwise thereof as required by the doorway structure it is to engage.
 19. The alarm of claim 16 in which the striker portion is inclined forwardly relative to the path of the actuating member.
 20. The alarm of claim 16 in which the head of the actuating means includes a cam surface engageable with the striker portion. 